On the lower deck our recently impressed crew members are sharing a drink of rum with Sandara Quinn. Another impressee and a stowaway join the group who commit to try and look out for each other on this hostile ship.
Our party are:
- Corwin: a curious fellow and agent of old Bes
- Ewan: a young Halfling boy with mysterious powers
- Hector: an enigmatic man with a painted face
- Montague: a dashing young fellow with a romantic notion of life at sea
- William: a man of means with a taste for the sweet life
- Yardley: a man of unimaginable age and a rotted brain
Whilst most of the recent recruits retire early Corwin decides to visit the quartermaster and Yardley joins him. They discover the store is unlocked but with the evening’s keelhauling fresh in their minds they opt not to steal. Hearing voices in an adjacent cabin Corwin knocks and despite being told to make himself scarce requests an audience with the quartermaster.
When faced with Cut-Throat Grok Corwin is unphased by her indifference and explains why he thinks it’s ill advised to leave one of Besmara’s faithful without his proper attire. Grok is reluctantly convinced and Corwin departs with his full set of equipment plus Yardley’s cutlass. They retire to their hammocks along with the others.
Waking at dawn’s bell the next morning only those who met belowdecks, less Sandara, are still abed and as they clamber to get ready they see that a few sailors are loitering on the stairs as six more come towards them, one shoving Corwin whilst asking “somewhere to be?”. Corwin tries to caution the dwarf against opposing Besmara’s operatives but the dwarf suggests he pays more attention to the ships officers than the gods, before headbutting Corwin in the solar plexus. Fists barely begin to swing before the party draw steel and their new crewmates lose their nerve and scarper above deck. Plugg relishes in assigning a punishment of lashes for all those who are tardy after the dawn bell and sets to doling out assignments for the day.
Most of the new recruits work diligently at their daily tasks but both Montague and Corwin attempt to influence some of the shipmates working near them. Corwin is unsuccessful but Montague makes another friend amongst the crew.
Next time, bloody hour!